Newsletter, Slideshow, Blurbs & Family Photo Collages ~ 2025

Ah, the annual Westra Newsletter, updated with all the ins and outs of each family from the year/2025. You can catch the official PDF (better quality) in the Westra Dropbox, or HERE. The blurbs are also included in text format below, along with the photo collages created for the cover of the calendar. 

Here's the quick recaps and photo collages from 2025...

Scott and Amy live in the Murray Holladay area. McKenna and Spencer Erickson and Eddie (2) live in Seattle. Spencer works for Amazon and McKenna works for Microsoft. Alyssa and Jed Smith live in Sugarhouse. Jed is an optometrist and Alyssa is a teaching and learning coach at Spectrum Academy in Pleasant Grove. Kellen and Natalie live in Henderson, Nevada. Kellen will graduate from medical school in May and Natalie is a personal health and fitness coach. Kemery and Mitch Willes live in Payson. They are the proud parents of Letti (4) and Della (2) and will be adding a boy to their family in February. Mitch works for a company that supplies contract software for the insurance industry. Kemery loves being a mom. Taylee manages the Urban Outfitters store at Fashion Place Mall. Amy loves being a grandma and spending every minute she can with her cute grandkids. Scott is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance.

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove. Kim works as a Medical Assistant and Chris works from home. Conner (33) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (32) and Boris live in Texas. Krystal is a lawyer for children’s services and Boris is going to law school. They have one son, Mylo. Kadan (31) and Christine live in Manti and Kadan works from home. They have one little boy, Jonah. Courtney(31) and Seth moved to North Carolina where Seth is a lawyer. Integrity is 8 and Charlotte is 3. And baby Wells. Corin (28) and Kylie live in Redmond. Corin works at Western Clay. They have a little boy, Luke. Seth (27) and Aspen live in American Fork and they have a little girl, Genevieve, and expecting a boy. Seth works at KCI. Aaron (25) married Abbi last year and they just moved near us. Aaron works for KCI also, and Abbi just graduated. Camden (23) married Hannah lastyear and they live in Chris and Kim’s basement apt. Camden works at EquinoxIT, and Hannah is going to school. Cayson (19) graduated, and moved to Midvale. He works with his Stepdad doing lawn care.

Rick and Wendy live in Santa Clara, Utah. They have seven children and five grandchildren. Rick serves as the ASL coordinator and advisor for Seminaries and Institutes in the U.S. and Canada, and Wendy works as an ASL interpreter and coordinator. They enjoy interpreting together, especially on cruises! Janika is an elementary school counselor, and Brandon works for Flex as a Revenue Operations Manager. They have two boys, ages 3½ and 21 months. Jase and Ellen moved to St. George for Ellen’s new role as marketing director for Liberty Village. They have three children, ages 4½, 3, and 1. Jared

and Hallie live in Lehi, where Jared teaches seminary and DJs weddings, and Hallie is finishing her master’s degree and working as a school counselor. Janelle and Bryton are enjoying life as BYU students, workers, and newlyweds. Jaiden attends SUU, studying elementary education. Josh is serving a mission in Seoul, Korea—and has even learned some K-pop dance moves. Jenna is a busy junior, singing, dancing, taking college classes, and working as a lifeguard. 

Newsletter: https://jensenchristmas.blogspot.com/

Jen and Gray and their five Blackham Boys live in West Jordan. Gray is still with Symphony Homes. He had an active year, with "75 Hard" and 16 half-marathons/four triathlons and a 100 mile bike ride. Jen continues baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and is all about books! Landon shifted from the West Jordan LKL location to the Spanish Fork store, and found an apartment in American Fork. He's added a girlfriend, a puppy and a kitty to these changes! Cal supervises quality control for Camson Electric and his wife Kate is working towards her Masters at UVU. They enjoyed a trip to Italy. Keaton works with Cal at Camson and received his Journeyman license. It's been a "OneWheel/Unicycle" year for him. Cooper is moving up at DLP Unlimited, added forklift training to his resume. He ran his first half-marathon and is always up for pickleball. Colton finished up his first year at Clackamas and is back on the basketball team as a sophomore. You can keep up with the Blackham Bunch on the family blog: http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com

Shane and Alicia live in Highland, Utah. Shane is the CPTO at Cardata, a software company that tracks car usage for employers. Alicia is the Warehouse Retail Manager for Kneaders and just completed her first semester in UVU’s MBA program. They serve in their ward as the Ward Clerk(Shane) and Ward Chorister/Choir Director (Alicia). They have 3 children: Adria (21) finished her full-time missionary service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Oklahoma City Mission in November. She loved her mission and the people of Oklahoma. Adria will return to BYU for winter semester and plans to study Information Systems. Rella is currently a Sophomore at BYU. She is still dancing, taking Ballet classes as well as business pre-requisites. She is planning to major in Marketing and minor in Ballet. She gets along well with her roommates and loves the social scene of college. Calder (14) is in 8th grade and is now taller than both his sisters and his mom! He loves video games and engineering projects. He took a semester of yoga at school and really enjoyed it. Calder has a great sense of humor and keeps us all laughing with his quick-witted one-liners.

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Aniston (15) is a great student and has enjoyed High School at Skyridge (especially Football games and dances).Layla (11) loves soccer (indoor and outdoor) and is an amazing goalie. She is super creative and setup a little “nail salon” in her room for the neighborhood girls. Noelle turns10 in January and is in French immersion at her school. She loves playing piano and reading. Derek works in Public Relations for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is in his second year as Bishop and recently started a side-hustle DIY YouTube channel called “DIY Derek.” Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces. She is the compassionate service leader. She loves researching about health and fitness and nutrition and Derek and Danielle love to do DIY projects in their home and for family and friends.

We have been in our new home in Highland, Utah, for three years now. We are very happy here. We are serving as Temple and Family History Consultants in our ward. Margie is also serving on the R.S. Service Committee, over our many Strasburg Ward Missionaries, and as Relief Society Secretary. LaMar is still serving as a Support Missionary for FamilySearch--for 23 years now! We wish good health and happiness for you and all of your families!

... and for another look back at 2025, here's the annual slideshow, premiered at the Christmas Eve party.

https://youtu.be/90d8elXyc3I 

Christmas Newsletter 2024

 

The annual Westra newsletter ... updated blurbs, and hopefully, updated photos (Derek as given Chris and Jen the assignment for a NEW family photo for next year). The PDF is in Dropbox, and emailed out to Westra friends and family. Here on the blog, we'll include a close up of the copy and a collage of family photos from the year. You can check out all the Christmas Newsletters at a glance too!

Scott and Amy Westra

Scott and Amy live in the Murray Holladay area. McKenna and Spencer Erickson and their 18-month-old son Eddie live in Seattle. Spencer works for Amazon and McKenna works for Microsoft. Alyssa and Jed Smith live in Sugarhouse. Jed is an optometrist and Alyssa teaches 4th grade at Spectrum Academy in Pleasant Grove. Kellen and Natalie live in Henderson, Nevada. Kellen is in his third year of medical school at Touro University and Natalie is a personal health and fitness coach. Kemery and Mitch Willes live in Payson. They are the proud parents of Letti (3) and Della (1). Mitch works for a company that supplies contract software for the insurance industry. Kemery loves being a mom. Taylee manages the Urban Outfitters store at Fashion Place Mall. Amy loves being a grandma and spending every minute she can with her cute grandkids. Scott is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance.

Chris and Kim Westra

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove. Kim works as a Medical Assistant and as a waitress at Cracker Barrel and Chris works from home. Conner (32) works construction, and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (31) and Boris live in Texas. Krystal is a lawyer, and Boris is going to law school. They have a 1-year old son, Mylo. Kadan (30) and Christine live in Chris and Kim’s basement apartment. Kadan works for Fastenal. They have a baby boy, Jonah. Courtney (30) and Seth moved to North Carolina where Seth is a lawyer. Integrity is seven and Charlotte is two. They are expecting a third baby in January. Corin (27) and Kylie live in Redmond. Corin works at the United States Gypsum plant. They have a baby boy, Luke. Seth (26) and Aspen live in American Fork and they have a baby girl, Genevieve. Seth works at KCI. Aaron (24) married Abbi this year and they live in Florida. Aaron works for WGI, and Abbi is going to school. Camden (22) married Hannah this year and they live in Orem. Camden works at Equinox IT, and Hannah is going to school. Cayson (18) graduated and moved to Midvale. He works with his Stepdad doing lawn care.

Rick and Wendy Jensen

Rick and Wendy live in Santa Clara, Utah. They have seven children, and four (soon to be five) grandchildren. Rick is the ASL coordinator and advisor for the United States and Canada for Seminaries and Institutes. Wendy is an ASL interpreter and coordinator. Rick and Wendy enjoy interpreting together, especially on cruises! Janika is working as an elementary school counselor, and Brandon works for Flex as the Revenue Operations System Administrator. They have two boys, ages 2 ½ and 9 months. Jase recently earned his MBA from Western Governors University, while working as the lab manager for Co-Diagnostics. Ellen is using her new master’s degree to provide marketing for a few start-up companies. They have two boys, ages 3 ½ and 2, and are expecting a baby girl any day. Jared married his sweetheart, Hallie, in the Mount Timpanogos temple in September. He teaches seminary at Lake Mountain Middle School in Saratoga Springs. They live in Orem and are busy working and attending graduate school. Janelle married her sweetheart, Bryton, in the St. George Temple in November. They are working and attending BYU. Jaiden is serving a mission in Mongolia and will return home in February. Josh is serving a mission in Seoul, Korea. Jenna is a sophomore and recently passed the Chinese AP test. She is involved with Madrigals and dance. Jensen Newsletter:  https://jensenchristmas.blogspot.com/

Gray and Jen Blackham

Jen and Gray and their five Blackham Boys have had a busy year. In addition to the actual work with Symphony Homes, Gray heads up a monthly dinner for veterans and built the Bluey house out of boxes for a diaper drive. He ran several half-marathons and completed the Spartan. Jen continues baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and loving all things book related. She set up a Little Free Library in the front yard. Landon works with LKL Associates. He had surgery for a torn ACL but was back playing pickleball and even ran a half marathon. Cal supervises quality control for Camson Electric and his wife Kate works at SLCC. Their doggy Vera keeps them busy! Keaton moved from his basement apartment to a townhouse in Daybreak with roommates. He works with Cal at Camson and is continuing his electrical education. He is into skydiving, roller skating and cooking (Blackstone/SousVide). Cooper is working at DLP Unlimited. He slimmed down, ran a 5k and 10k and almost always leads the family in daily steps. He's obsessed with music and went to a couple of concerts. Colton had a great senior season as his basketball team swept region undefeated. He played in the state Allstar game and committed to play for Clackamas Community College. He is currently #1 in the NWAC for assists! You can keep up with the Blackham Bunch on the family blog: http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com

Shane and Alicia Westra

Shane and Alicia live in Highland, Utah. Shane is the CPTO at Cardata, a software company that tracks car usage for employers. Alicia is the Warehouse Retail Manager for Kneaders. They serve in their ward as the Ward Clerk (Shane) and Ward Chorister/Choir Director (Alicia). They have 3 children: Adria (20) finished her Freshman year at BYU and then began her full-time missionary service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is serving in the Oklahoma City Mission (Spanish speaking) and loves the people she has served in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Rella (18) graduated from Timpanogos High School with a 4.0 GPA. She is currently a Freshman at BYU. Rella is still dancing, taking Ballet and Jazz classes as part of her class schedule at college. She and her roommates all get along really well and enjoy spending time together. Calder (13) is in 7th grade and is about as tall as Rella. He is excited to be taller than her and measures how far he has to go just about anytime she is home from college. Calder loves designing and building things out of Legos, 3D printing clever creations, and comic books. He has a great sense of humor and keeps us all laughing with his quick-witted one-liners.

Derek and Danielle Westra

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Three kids at three different schools keeps them busy! Aniston (14) is a great student and loves music and hanging with friends! She is making money babysitting and is excited to drive and date soon. Layla (10) loves soccer (indoor and outdoor) and is a reliable goalie. She excels at tumbling and art and is super creative – always drawing, painting and creating. Noelle turns 9 in January and is in French immersion at her school. She loves playing piano and is a voracious reader. Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – where he keeps track of how the Church is being discussed online (for good and bad). He was recently called as Bishop of their ward (a five-year sentence). Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces. She is the compassionate service leader. She loves researching about health and nutrition and Derek and Danielle love to do DIY projects in their home and for family and friends. 

Margie and LaMar Westra

It is hard to believe that we have been in our new home in Highland, Utah for two years now. We are very happy here. We are serving as Temple and Family History Consultants in our ward. Margie is also serving on the R.S. Service Committee, over our 16 Strasburg Ward Missionaries. LaMar is still serving as a Support Missionary for FamilySearch--for 22 years now. We wish good health and happiness for you and all of your families!

Love, Margie & LaMar

Annual Westra Christmas Newsletter 2023

 

To see ALL the newsletters at a glance - peek HERE.

It's fun to see the change (or not) in photos, fonts & presentation.

There is a PDF of this year's newsletter saved in Dropbox as well.

The newsletter text and some additional photo collages for each family are also featured below.

Scott and Amy live in the Murray Holladay area and recently remodeled their home. McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Seattle. Spencer works for Amazon and McKenna works for Microsoft. They welcomed Eddie James Erickson to their family in May. Alyssa and Jed live in Sugarhouse. Jed is an optometrist and Alyssa teaches 5th at Midvale Elementary. They are getting married on June 28, 2024. Kellen and Natalie were married in April and live in Henderson, Nevada. Kellen is in his second year of medical school at Touro University and Natalie is a personal health and fitness coach. Kemery and Mitch Willes live in Payson. They are the proud parents of Letti (2) and Della Merle Willes who was born on December 10th. Mitch works for a company that supplies contract software for the insurance industry. Taylee is a sophomore at UVU and works at Urban Outfitters. Amy stays super busy being a grandma. Scott is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance.

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove, and Camden and Cayson are living with them. Kim works for Revere Internal Medicine and Chris works from home. Conner (31) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (30) and Boris live in Texas and are both going to law school. They have a baby, Mylo, who is six months old. Kadan (29) and Christine live in Chris and Kim’s basement apartment. Kadan works for Fastenal and she works for the school district. Courtney (29) and Seth are back in Utah. Seth will finish law school in April. Integrity is six and Charlotte is 18 months. Corin (26) and Kylie live in Redmond. Corin works at the United States Gypsum plant. Seth (25) and Aspen live in American Fork with 3 dogs. Seth works at KCI. Aaron (23) moved to Florida to be closer to his girl Abbi. He is working in sales. Camden (21) is engaged to Hannah and works at Equinox IT. Cayson (17) is a Senior at Timpanogos High School.

Rick and Wendy live in Santa Clara, Utah. They have seven children and three (soon to be four) grandchildren! Rick is the ASL coordinator and advisor for the United States and Canada for Seminaries and Institutes. Wendy is the interpreter coordinator and interpreter at Utah Tech University. Wendy also spent the past nine months serving on the language committee for the St. George Temple open house. Janika is working as an elementary school counselor, and Brandon works for Flex as the Revenue Operations System Administrator. They have a 17-month-old and are expecting another baby boy in April. Jase is currently working at Co Diagnostics as the formulation team lead. Ellen works for Cambridge Financial Group and just graduated with her Master of Arts in Professional Communication. They have two boys, Evan (age 2 1/2) and Eli (age 1). Jared was hired to teach Seminary full-time, teaching in Saratoga Springs. He just earned his bachelor’s degree from Utah Tech University in Business Management. Janelle finished her missionary service in Taiwan in April and is currently at BYU and working at the MTC. Jaiden finished a year at SUU and is serving in the Mongolian Ulaanbaatar Mission. Josh, a senior, is a Madrigal section leader. He studies Chinese and plays soccer for the high school team. Jenna is a freshman, and is involved with music, Chinese study, dance, and FRIENDS!! Check out the Jensen Family Newsletter: https://jensenchristmas.blogspot.com/

The West Jordan Blackhams have stayed busy and active this year. Grayson is working hard at Symphony Homes, but found time to do a lot of hiking. He got on his machines (RZR, waverunners) and took a few trips (California and Europe/England/Paris). Jen has continued baking sourdough, teaching Zumba and listening to endless audiobooks. Landon is busy with work at LKL Associates. He got a new car, and also did quite a bit of hiking. Cal and Kate have a new addition – an adopted doggy named Vera who keeps them on their toes. Cal is working with Camsen Electric and Kate works at SLCC. Keaton is living on his own in a cute basement apartment. He left Camsen to try his hand at commercial work but decided to return to Camsen with his residential journeyman's license. Cooper is working full-time for DLP Unlimited. He plays pickleball and ping-pong and does lots of jogging in the home gym. It's football season, and his fantasy team is currently doing well. Colton ... plays basketball. He started varsity his junior year and now again for his senior season. He traveled with Metro in the Summer, played in the UtahTop50 league in the Fall, and is hoping to play college ball. Landon and Callahan have had some knee issues and Jen had another 'episode' in April (ambulance/ER & more medical tests). We're hoping everyone stays happy and healthy for the New Year! You can keep up with the Blackham Bunch on the family blog Gray and Jen Blackham (http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com/).

Check the bottom of the post for Derek's nudge/ChatGPT update ...

Shane, Alicia, and their 3 children live in Highland, Utah. Shane is now the Chief Product Officer at Canopy, a company that builds software for tax accountants. Alicia is the Assistant Retail Manager at the Kneaders Home Office. Adria (19) is a freshman at BYU. She is currently studying pre-Business and preparing to serve a mission. Rella (17) is a senior at Timpanogos High School. She is still dancing up a storm and recently added country swing dancing to her repertoire! Calder (12) is in 6th grade. He loves listening to music and playing video games. Their family enjoys spending time together traveling, playing games, and generally just having fun.

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Three kids at three different schools keeps them busy! Aniston (13) plays softball, loves all things music and hanging with friends! Layla (9) loves soccer, tumbling and art and is super creative – making homemade gifts for her multiple boyfriends. Noelle turns 8 in January and is in French immersion at her school. She loves reading and playing piano. Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Derek and Danielle love DIY home projects, and this year built a workout room and a 4-person custom sauna in their home. They are doing daily cold plunges and wondering what crazy lifestyle choice will be next: Chickens? Raw Milk? Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces. She loves researching about health and nutrition and gave up sugar over a year ago. Derek did not, and it shows. :)

We have been in our lovely new apartment in Shane and Alicia's Beautiful new home in Highland, Utah, for 1 year now---time flies. We love it here and are doing well for our age. We had a beautiful flower garden, and this Fall we planted hundreds of tulips and daffodil bulbs we are anxious to see in bloom when Spring arrives.

We are serving as Temple and Family History Consultants in our new ward (Strasburg Ward in the Highland Central Stake). Margie also serves on the R.S. Service Committee, writing to the 12 missionaries in our ward. LaMar continues to serve as a World-wide Support Missionary for FamilyTree, answering phone calls and chats from our home, as patrons call in with their questions. Margie (with Christopher's help) is always adding more content to her Church Topics website at margiesmessages.com

We wish health and happiness to all our family and friends! Love, Margie and LaMar

westra8@gmail.com

**************************************************************************

As Derek was prepping the Newsletter for it's official release this year, he asked for updates, both text and photos, from all the families. I'm not sure if all the families got a little nudge from him ... but the Blackham's did. You'll find it below. Pretty funny, although it would have run just a little long for the family PDF. Thanks for the laugh though Dunk! Reminiscent of 2008 when he create a real and a funny fake (see it HERE). 

From Derek: If you don't get it back in time - I'll be forced to use Chat GPT. ;) I fed it last year's update and told it to make and update for this year (and gave it a few sarcastic prompts). Here's what it wrote. ;)

From Chat GPT: 

Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round for the thrilling chronicles of the Blackham family – a saga that unfolds like a twisted sitcom, complete with quirky characters and unexpected plot twists.

First in the spotlight is Grayson, who has discovered a lucrative side hustle as none other than "Walter Wheat," a Walter White impersonator extraordinaire. When he's not busy with Symphony Homes, he's channeling his inner Breaking Bad alter ego, proving that even suburban life can have a touch of drama. The RZR rides? Just a cover for his covert wheat empire, where each wheel spin is a metaphorical turn in the spiral of suburban intrigue.

Now, let's shift our attention to Jen, the culinary maestro and star of her very own reality show, "Breaking Bread." After the dramatic start to the year involving a head collision (perhaps a side effect of trying to cook with chemistry), she's embraced her true calling – combining the art of baking sourdough with the suspense of high-stakes reality TV. Will the bread rise to the occasion, or will it crumble under the pressure? Tune in to "Breaking Bread" to find out.

Landon, the solo act at LKL Associates, has not only celebrated the grand opening of their latest location but is also making waves in his personal life. Rumor has it he's considering a spin-off show titled "Landon Unleashed," where the grand opening of his heart takes center stage. Will it be a hit or a ratings disaster? Only time will tell.

Cal and Kate, the dynamic duo with a taste for adventure, have turned their road trip escapades into the thrilling travel series "Road Trip Rendezvous." This dynamic couple brings you the latest in scenic drives and romantic roadside picnics, proving that love is a journey – preferably with a full tank of gas.

Meanwhile, Keaton, the adrenaline junkie of Camsen Electric, has decided to bring his high-flying adventures to the small screen. Catch him in "Shockingly Bold," where he combines skydiving, roller skating, and electrical work in a mesmerizing dance with danger. It's a shocking spectacle you won't want to miss.

As for Cooper, the fresh graduate turned virtual educator, rumor has it he's considering a spin-off called "Virtual Velocity." Will he navigate the roads with the same precision he handled virtual classrooms? Only time will tell if the roads are ready for a Blackham behind the wheel.

Colton, the varsity basketball sensation, is contemplating his own sports-themed show. "Hoops and Highways" promises a slam dunk of excitement as he navigates the challenges of being a junior on the court and a newly licensed driver on the road.

For a deeper dive into this reality-meets-fiction extravaganza, head over to the family blog at http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com/. It's a digital treasure trove that will leave you questioning whether the Blackham family's life is a sitcom, a drama, or an elaborate episode of a cooking show gone awry. Until next time, dear readers, stay tuned for more Blackham family escapades – where reality is just a suggestion, and the only certainty is uncertainty.

Christmas (New Years) Newsletter

It was such a busy year, that the annual Westra Christmas Newsletter

... turned into New Year's News!

To see ALL the newsletters at a glance - peek HERE.

It's fun to see the change (or not) in photos, fonts & presentation.

There were a few updated photos, and revisions to the recaps for each family. There is a PDF in Dropbox, where the image can be easily enlarged, but the text has also been copied below. Derek is the official designer of the newsletter, and Mom/Margie is the one who emails it out to everyone.

 Westra Family Newsletter – 2022

Scott and Amy 

McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Seattle. Spencer works for Amazon and McKenna works for Microsoft. They spend their spare time traveling and preparing fine cuisine and are expecting a little boy Erickson in May. Alyssa and Jed live in Sugarhouse. Jed is an optometrist and Alyssa teaches 5th at Copperview Elementary in Sandy. Kellen lives in Henderson, Nevada and is in his first year of medical school at Touro University. He will be marrying Natalie Fardos on April 8th in California. Kemery and Mitch Willes and super cute 19-month-old Letti live in Payson. Mitch works for a company that supplies contract software for the insurance industry. Taylee is a sophomore at UVU and enjoyed studying in Rome last year. Amy works part-time at Canyons School District and loves being a grandma. Scott is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance. They purchased Scott’s parent’s home in Murray last year and are busy with remodeling.

Chris and Kim

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove, and Aaron and Cayson are living with them. Kim is a Medical Assistant for a Revere Nephrology Clinic and Chris works from home. Conner (30) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (29) and Boris moved to Texas in order for Krystal to go to Law School. Boris works as a traveling ICU nurse.  Kadan (28) and Christine moved in Chris and Kim’s basement apartment. Kadan works for Fastenal and she works at Kneaders. Courtney (28) and Seth are going to London for Seth’s law school internship. Integrity is five and they had another daughter, Charlotte, in June. Corin (25) and Kylie live in Redmond. Corin works at the United States Gypsum plant. Seth (24) and Aspen live in American Fork. Seth works at KCI, and Aspen works at Heritage Gardens. Aaron (22) works with a youth wilderness therapy program and is enjoying that. Camden (20) is attending Snow College in Ephraim. Cayson (16) is a Junior at Timpanogos High School and is getting into sports.

Rick and Wendy

Rick and Wendy live in St. George and have 7 children. Rick is the ASL coordinator and advisor for the United States and Canada for Seminaries and Institutes. Wendy is the interpreter coordinator and interpreter at Utah Tech University. They are also freelance interpreters. Janika graduated with her masters and loves working as an elementary school counselor, and Brandon is thriving at JobNimbus. They welcomed their first baby, Everett Hayes Jenson, into their family on May 30. Jase and Ellen graduated from DSU (Utah Tech) and after a summer internship at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland moved to Herriman. Jase works at Co-diagnostics and Ellen works from home for a financial advisor. They were blessed with their second baby boy, Eli Dean Jensen, on October 29. Jared attends Utah Tech University and teaches Seminary. He LOVED working as an assistant coordinator for FSY this past summer – and will again this summer. Janelle is currently serving in the Taipei Taiwan Mission as a Sister Training Leader. She was hired as an FSY counselor for the upcoming summer. Jaiden graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and is majoring in exercise science at SUU. Josh is a junior and loves soccer. He is currently on the varsity team, club team, and ODP team. He is an honor student and fluent in Chinese. Jenna (8th grade) also speaks Chinese and is involved with music, theater, dance, and most of all, FRIENDS! Jensen Newsletter: https://jensenchristmas.blogspot.com

Gray and Jen

The Blackham family lives in West Jordan. Grayson stays busy with his work at Symphony Homes but still finds time to ride his RZR and prepare wonderful meals. He's discovered Peloton, enjoys jogging and he hit his target weight. Jen started the year with a bang (literally - passed out and hit her head). She recovered and got back to baking sourdough, teaching Zumba, blogging and enjoying endless audiobooks. Landon works at LKL Associates and celebrated the grand opening of their latest location and set up his office there. He is returning to single status. Cal and Kate live in Kearns and traveled to Holland and went on a week-long road trip through southern Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Kate recently started a new job at SLCC, and Cal continues working with Camsen Electric. Keaton also works with Camsen Electric, and enjoys jumping out of planes, roller skating, and binge watching tv/movies. Cooper graduated from Mountain Heights Academy, is continuing his job with the Jordan School District, and got his driver's license! Colton also got his license, finished up his sophomore season at West Jordan High School and is now a junior, starting varsity on the basketball team.  Check out the family blog (http://blackhamboys.blogspot.com/) for more details on all adventures.

Shane and Alicia

Shane, Alicia, and their 3 children recently moved into their new home in Highland, Utah. Shane continues to enjoy working as the Chief Product Officer at SimpleNexus in Lehi.  Alicia started a new job on the Retail Team at the Kneader's Warehouse in American Fork in addition to her photography business.  Adria (18) is a senior at Timpanogos High School. She ran on the Cross Country Team this fall and will be on the Track Team in the spring.  Rella (16) is a junior at Timpanogos High School. She is involved in dance teams and classes both at school and at a local dance studio.  Calder (11) is in 5th grade. He is a big fan of Minecraft and anything that allows him to be creative with building or engineering.  Their family enjoys spending time together listening to music and playing games.

Derek and Danielle

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi.  Aniston (12) is in seventh-grade and we are loving having a tweenager! Ani runs cross country, does swim team  and loves hanging with her friends. Layla (8) loves tumbling and art and  is super creative – making homemade gifts for her many friends (aka, everyone). Noelle turns 7 in January and is in the French immersion program at her school. Elle est très intelligente, corrigeant même régulièrement la grammaire de ses parents! Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Derek stays busy with Pickleball, DIY home projects and trying to keep up with his wife’s Wordle skills.  Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces in their home. They’ve done several major home projects in 2022 and have several more queued up for next year!

LaMar and Margie

This year has been a year of change in the Westra Clan, as 3 family members have moved! Shane & Alicia told us many years ago that they would take care of us in our old age – and a couple years ago, we told them we were "getting there."  They immediately found and purchased a lot and Shane (whose undergraduate degree was in architecture) designed a beautiful new modern home with a lovely apartment for us on the main floor. We each have our own space but are connected by just a door. They even built me a new, larger therapy pool, so I could continue my daily water aerobics exercise! We appreciate their willingness to take over hosting many of the big family parties. It was a huge undertaking cleaning out our home of 28 years, with all the stuff that accumulated over time! Our kids were super helpful! We left our Church ward of 51 years but are only a half hour away and some friends have already made the trip to come visit us! We love our new home and are closer to 3 of our kids, who live in Northern Utah County. Our new address is: 5819 W. Yorkshire Court, Highland, Utah, 84003. Stop by and visit!

LaMar is still serving a Family History mission from home for worldwide support, answering phone calls from patrons with questions about FamilySearch. I hope to work more on my website: margiesmessages.com. We have 32 grandchildren: 17 boys and 15 girls--ages 6 to 30 years old. We were blessed with 3 more great-grandchildren this year – Everett, and a preemie baby boy, Eli, 4 lbs. 3 oz., who is doing great, And a baby girl Charlotte. We have 6 great-grandchildren now with two boys expected in the Summer! 

We wish health and happiness to all our family and friends!  

Love, Margie and LaMar 

Christmas Newsletter 2021

The annual Christmas Newsletter ... this year and all previous years are saved in PDF format in the family dropbox (link to 2021) for close up viewing! If you don't have access to the family Dropbox, email/text Grandma/Chris/Jen for the signin/pw!

Text from the newsletter is included below for easy reading ...

McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Seattle. Spencer received his MBA from BYU last Spring. McKenna works for Microsoft and Spencer works for Amazon. They spend their spare time traveling and preparing fine cuisine. Alyssa lives in Sugarhouse and teaches 5th grade at Spectrum Academy, a school for autistic children. Kellen is attending Utah Valley University and will graduate next Spring in Biology. He took the MCAT and is interviewing at medical schools. He works as an EKG Tech in the Emergency Department at Intermountain Medical Center. Kemery and Mitch Willes both graduated last December from UVU and BYU, respectively and live in Payson. They have a beautiful 7-month-old daughter Letti. Mitch works for a company that supplies software for the insurance industry. Taylee is a freshman at UVU and works two jobs. Amy is busy and loves being a grandma. Scott serves as the Stake Clerk and is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance. They live in Draper.

Chris and Kim live in Pleasant Grove, and Aaron and Cayson are living with them. Kim is a Medical Assistant for a Revere Nephrology Clinic and Chris works from home. Conner (29) works construction and Amber works from home for Progressive Leasing. Krystal (28) and Boris moved to Texas in order for Krystal to go to Law School. Boris works as a traveling nurse. Kadan (27) and Christine live in Cedar City. He works for Fastenal and she bakes for student dining on SUU campus. They are entrepreneurs also with small businesses on the side. Courtney (27) graduated in May in History and Religious Studies and is doing an internship for the Church. She and Seth live in American Fork and their daughter Integrity just turned four. Seth is in Law School at BYU. Corin (24) and Kylie bought a house in Redmond. Corin works at a gypsum plant. Seth (23) and Aspen bought a house in American Fork and have been renovating it. Seth has moved up to a supervisor at KCI, and Aspen works at Doterra as well as her own art business. Aaron (21) went back out into the mission field and was called to the Seattle, WA Spanish speaking mission. He came home late August and is working with his Dad. Aaron will start at UVU in January. Camden (19) is attending Snow College in Ephraim. Cayson (15) is a sophomore at PG High School and is working at Costa Vida.

Rick and Wendy live in St. George and have 7 children. Janika (26) just finished her Master’s Degree and is working as a middle school counselor. Her husband, Brandon (27), works at JobNimbus. They are new homeowners in Pleasant Grove and are expecting a baby in June! Jase (24) and Ellen (22) welcomed baby Evan to their family in July (8 weeks early)! They will move to Maryland this summer for Jase's internship at the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. Jared (21) is attending DSU and was recently hired as a part time seminary teacher. He loves it! Janelle (19) was called to the Taipei Taiwan Mission (temporarily assigned to the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission) and is currently in the Provo MTC learning Mandarin Chinese. Jaiden (17) is a very involved senior in high school – Executive Council, Madrigals, Distinguished Young Woman of Utah 1st runner up, SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Musical, and the Speech and Drama Sterling Scholar. Josh (15) is a sophomore, playing on his HS soccer team and two club teams. He is an honor student and fluent in Chinese. Jenna (13) also speaks Chinese and is involved with choir, theater, dance, and FRIENDS! Rick teaches seminary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is also over the Seminary and Institute Deaf/ASL program throughout the country. Wendy keeps the family running smoothly full-time and interprets for the Deaf part-time. (Family Newsletter: www.JensenChristmas.Blogspot.com)

Gray and Jen live in West Jordan, with three boys at home (Keaton, Cooper, and Colton) and two married but living close by (Landon and Sol, and Callahan and Kate). It's been a busy year for travel ~ Seattle a few times (once with the full family), Hawaii vacations, two trips to Mexico and lots of other weekend getaways. Kate graduated from the U, Keaton has been jumping out of planes, and it has been a year full of pickleball, ping-pong and Pokemon Go. We added an Occulus, Keaton created a 9-Square set, and Coop has been tearing it up on the treadmill. Grayson got a couple new gadgets in his garage kitchen and added several new recipes to his repertoire (when he's not riding his RZR). Jen started making sourdough, is still teaching Zumba and enjoying endless audiobooks. There is always basketball, Colton (a sophomore) has been playing JV and Varsity. Cal joined a men's league, and Coop is going to give "Senior Jazz" a go. Check out the family blog (blackhamboys.blogspot.com) for more details on all adventures.

Shane and Alicia and their 3 children live in Lindon, Utah. Shane is the Chief Product Officer at SimpleNexus in Lehi and Alicia owns a photography business. They are in the process of building a new home in Highland, which takes a good amount of their extra time and creative energy. Adria (17) is a junior and was a captain of the JV soccer team in the fall. She is taking several AP classes and is looking forward to a trip to France with students from the French program at school. Mirella (15) is a sophomore and on the Contemporary Dance Team at school as well as part of the Dance Company at her dance studio. She loves plants and is currently taking a floriculture class at school where she has learned how to create floral and plant arrangements. Calder (10) is in 4th grade. He loves building with Legos, Parkour, and figuring out how things work. He is always full of questions—thank goodness for the library and Google!

Derek and Danielle and their three girls live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi. Aniston (11) is in sixth-grade. She is on the swim-team and plays softball and piano and was the star of a local musical “Dear Edwina.” Layla (7) loves soccer, gymnastics, and crafting, and stays very busy making home-made gifts for her many friends (the whole school). Noelle will be 6 in January. She is a little clone of her mom and loves baking and helping Danielle with whatever she can. She is doing dance and tumbling and is loving it. Derek works as Director of Reputation Management for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He discovered pickleball this year and plays 3-4 times a week. Derek recorded an instrumental, piano Christmas album (just search for Derek Westra wherever you listen to music). Danielle is an amazing cook and baker and loves to design and create pretty spaces in their home. Derek loves to build whatever Danielle designs, and they run a little design website and Instagram called Functional-Décor.

Margie and Christopher are constantly updating Margie's Gospel Topics website, which has well over 2,000 pages, plus many hundreds of links. Their goal is to help busy family members and friends with material for their church talks and lessons. Check it out at MargiesMessages.com. :)

It has been a busy year as Wendy and Jeni have joined Margie and Chris in expanding a large Westra Family Database of photos and histories in Dropbox for current family and future posterity. Jeni has created dozens of fun family blog pages of the Westra Clan. It has been fun to relive and document memories of years gone by.

We have 32 grandchildren: 17 boys and 15 girls--ages 5 to 29 years old. We were blessed with 2 more great-grandchildren this year---a darling baby girl, Letti Rae, and a preemie baby boy, Evan, 4 lbs. 3 oz., both of whom are doing great! We have 3 great-grandchildren now and two more expected next June!

We now have 12 married grandchildren. We have 4 granddaughters and 8 grandsons that have served missions and returned home and one granddaughter in the MTC now. Our family is growing older (all except us, of course!)

We wish health and happiness to all our family and friends!

Love, Margie and LaMar

Christmas Newsletter ~ 2020

The annual, official, Westra Newsletter going out from Mom/Margie and Dad/LaMar. Derek put it together, after asking for updated pictures and "blurbs" from everyone. Jen thought she was so fast, and asked if she was first (and if she got a prize) and got the surprising reply that SCOTT had been first with a photo ... and Scott replied that he had sent his update to his family for approval before sending it on, but that he might have sent it in too if he'd known it was a competition ;)  For the actual PDF (with working links and enlarging capabilities) check out Westra 2020. 

Check out ALL the previous Christmas Newsletters ...

2019 Christmas Letter

The Annual Update. What's Up with the Westras.
Want a closer look? PDF is here.

Christmas Letter from the Jensens

2018 Christmas Newsletter

The 2018 Christmas Newsletter has gone out ... PDF is in Dropbox.

Scott and Amy Westra

Their 5 children: McKenna and Spencer Erickson live in Alexandria, Virginia. McKenna works for TargetPoint Consulting and Spencer works for Deloitte. Both are currently serving in the Primary. Alyssa (23) lives in Draper and teaches 5th grade at Spectrum Academy, a school for autistic children. She is also pursuing her degree at Western Governors University. Kellen (22) is serving a mission in the Sacramento, California Mission, returning December 27th. He will be attending Utah Valley University. Kemery (20) is a junior at Utah Valley University and manages the warehouse operation at Piper & Scoot. Taylee (15) is at Corner Canyon High School and is a varsity cheerleader there. Amy is an instructor in Relief Society and is busy as the CEO of the Westra household. Scott serves as the Stake Clerk and is the Chief Financial Officer for WCF Insurance. They live in Draper.

Chris and Kim Westra

Their 9 Children: Conner (26) works construction and married Amber Ward on Halloween. Krystal (25) is attending BYU in Latin American Studies. Kadan (24) is attending SUU majoring in business and will marry Christine Esplin on December 28. Courtney (24) is married to Seth Worthen and their baby Integrity is one year old. Corin (21) married Kylie Nay in the summer and is attending Snow College. Kylie is a Medical Assistant. Seth (20) returns home February 6 from his mission in New Jersey. Aaron (18) just left for his mission to Trujillo, Peru, and is in the Lima, Peru MTC right now. Camden (16) has his license and is dating. Cayson (12) ran cross country this last fall. Kim is working as a Medical Assistant. Chris is still creating websites and other digital content for his business.

Wendy and Rick Jensen

Their 7 children: Janika (23) married Brandon Jenson in the Bountiful Temple on June 22. Jase (21) completed his mission and is working at Deseret First Credit Union and attending DSU. Jared (18) is currently serving in the Chicago Illinois Mission and loving it! Janelle (16) has been busy performing in her school musical as well as with the Madrigals and the Hands in Harmony Carolers. Jaiden (14) is involved with dance, tumbling, student council, and the Hands in Harmony carolers. Josh (12) speaks Chinese and played on an undefeated soccer team this Fall. Jenna (10) speaks Chinese and is involved with her school play, choir, and the carolers. Rick teaches Seminary at Desert Hills High School in St. George. Rick and Wendy also work as ASL Interpreters and direct the Hands in Harmony Carolers. Family Newsletter: www.jensenchristmas.blogspot.com

Jen and Grayson Blackham

Their 5 sons: Landon (23) has been working, going to school ... and he got married, adding Sol to the family. Callahan (19) is working full-time as an apprentice electrician and continuing his education. He’s become a vegetarian this year (with a little girlfriend influence). Keaton (18) is working too much while trying to have a social life and stay on top of schooling during his senior year. Cooper (15) is obsessed with all things NBA and NFL, loves music and shoes. Colton (13) stays busy with basketball, playing year round on multiple teams. Grayson works with Symphony Homes as the Construction Manager there. He runs pinewood derbies and loves smoking meat on the side. Jen tries to document life via Facebook and blogs (family, fitness, basketball). She is a Fitbit fan, a Zumba girl, and enjoys baking and books. They have two cats, six ducks... and a Segway. They live in West Jordan.

Shane and Alicia Westra

Shane and Alicia live in the California Bay Area with their 3 children. Adria (14) is in 8th grade and plays soccer, basketball, and the mandolin. She is also enjoying being a TA for one of the science teachers at her school. Mirella (12) dances her way through ballet class, ukulele lessons, and 7th grade. She is hoping to advance to pointe shoes next summer. Calder (7) is in 1st grade and is a budding engineer, artist, scientist, and mathematician (depending on the day!) He played on his first soccer team this fall and continues to work hard learning to swim. Shane is the VP of Product for Bynder, a Dutch company that purchased the company he works for in California. He has traveled to Amsterdam several times this year. Shane is serving as the Elders Quorum President. Alicia owns her own photography business and chauffeurs the kids around to all their activities. She is in the YW presidency and is also serving on the PTA executive board at Calder’s elementary school.

Derek and Danielle Westra

Derek and Danielle have three girls: Aniston (8) is in third-grade and loves school. She has been enjoying tennis, singing and dance classes and loves being creative in art, dance, music and games. Layla (4) loves pre-school, dance and gymnastics. She is a natural gymnast and we often find her doing handstands or front flips off the couch. Noelle will be 3 in January and loves to ride her tricycle around and around the house for hours. Derek works for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Director of Communications for Welfare Services, and loves his job. Derek also teaches as an adjunct professor at UVU. Danielle is a Nursery Leader, and Derek’s calling is with with the Young Men. They live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi.

Lamar and Margie Westra

We recently completed one of our missions, serving in the Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, working on the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Website for the past 14 years. We are still serving our other mission as Family History Worldwide Support Missionaries from our home, handling emails, chats, and phone calls from Family History patrons around the world. We have been serving there for about 12 years. This mission helps keep our knowledge up to date as we continue to serve as Family History Consultants in our ward. Christopher and Margie are constantly updating Margie's Gospel Topics website, which has over 2,000 pages, plus many hundreds of links. Their goal is to help busy family members and friends with material for their church talks and lessons. Check it out at margiesmessages.com.

We have 32 grandchildren: 17 boys and 15 girls--ages 2 to 26 years old, and one great-granddaughter. We've had 5 grandchildren's weddings in the past 6 months! That makes 7 married grandchildren. We have 4 grandsons currently serving missions. We have 4 granddaughters and 4 grandsons that have completed their missions and returned home. Our family is growing older (all except us, of course:-))! May we all "Live, Love, Learn, and Leave a Legacy."